Today's disc is an interesting novelty that's been kicking around my 45 collection for years, but I'd never bothered to play before because of my general loathing for the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (although Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians have a fun Spike Jones-esque take on it). Familiarity breeds contempt, I guess, but when I put this on, I heard a fun doo wop version that bears little resemblance to most versions of the Johnny Marks classic, including a completely different melody that owes more to The Book of Love than any previous reindeer games.

As for the Melodeers themselves, the most I can find out is that they were one of many acts in the stable of late '50s/early '60s rock and roll impresario Vinny Catalano who ran a variety of labels, managing and producing dozens of acts, many of whom were simply Catalano himself teamed up with different singers and musicians. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (with the Catalano-penned b-side Wishing Is For Fools) came out on the Studio Records label, although as you can see my copy is courtesy the Canadian vinyl clearing house Quality Records (via the 20th Fox imprint).